Eye protection frame assembly

ABSTRACT

An eye protection frame assembly including means for connecting a pair of temple members to a front lens retaining portion. The temple members are each pivoted to an open position and then further spread apart by applying biasing force against a spring member so that they may slip around the wearers head. The spring members then urge the temples back toward one another resulting in a snug fit on the wearers head.

United States Patent [191 Leblanc EYE PROTECTION FRAME ASSEMBLY [75]Inventor: Conrad L. Leblanc, Leominster,

Mass.

[73] Assignee: Foster Grant Co., Inc., Leominster,

Mass.

221 Filed: Aug. 14, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 280,297

[52] U.S. Cl 351/113, 16/128 A, 351/121, 351/153 [51] Int. Cl G02c 5/16,G020 5/22, E05d 3/02 {58] Field of Search 351/113, 121, 153; 2/14 T,

2/14 UT; 16/128 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,531,1909/1970 Leblanc 351/113 Feb. 5, 1974 3,671,111 6/1972 Okner ..351/1133,701,591 10/1972 Wichers ..351/113X Primary Examiner-Paul A. Sacher[57] ABSTRACT An eye protection frame assembly including means forconnecting a pair of temple members to a front lens retaining portion.The temple members are each pivoted to an open position and then furtherspread apart by applying biasing force against a spring member so thatthey may slip around the wearers head. The spring members then urge thetemples back toward one another resulting in a snug fit on the wearershead.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures .EYE PROTECTION FRAME ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION the lens which may be a one-piece transparent member, forexample, in proper position without slippage, even during participationin an active sport such as skiing or motorcycle or boat racing.

A snug fit of the eye protection frame assembly is thus required so thatquick movements of the head will not cause displacement and for thisreason, large temple members are employed and the structures utilized toconnect the temple portions to the front lens retaining portion causethe temples to hug either side and part of the rear portion of thewearers head. Simple hinges which allow only pivotal movement of thetemple portion from their closed position to the open position are notadequate for this purpose and thus the present invention replaces .suchhinges with special means to provide the required fit. The special meansprovided also allow for fitting various head sizes and for automaticallyadjusting each temple portion so that they both fit the wearers headwith substantially equal snugness.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present inventionis to provide an eye protection frame assembly which will maintain itsposition on the head of the wearer under conditions where quick headmovements or jarring may be experienced.

Another object of this invention is to provide special temple membersand structure connecting the temple members to the front lens retainingportion which provide a snug fit on the side and part of the rearportion of the wearers head.

' Still another object is to provide an eye protection frame assemblywhich will adjust to many different head sizes to fit various wearerswhile maintaining balanced tension of each temple to provide therequired snug fit.

Pursuant to the above objects, the temple members are connected to thefront lens retaining assembly by 6 means allowing certain limitedpivoting movement of the temple members between an open and closedposition. Each of the temple members which are preferably much longerthan ordinary spectacle temples require, in addition, outward biasingforce against a spring member to allow them to open wide enough to sliparound the wearers head and the spring member then urges the templesback toward one another resulting in the aforementioned snug fit aboutthe side and rear portion of the wearers head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a bottom view of the eyeprotection frame assembly, embodying the invention, showing the templemembers in their extended open position at the end of their pivotalmovement.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the invention showing thestructure connecting the temple members to the front lens retainingportion.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 of thestructure connecting the temple members to the front lens retainingportion.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a temple connecting member including the rivitpin supported thereby.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the temple connecting member withoutthe rivit pin.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a temple member with spring memberattached.

FIG. 7 is an end view of a temple member without the spring member.

FIG. 8 is a back view of a wearers head showing the fit of the templemembers thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawing and particularlyto FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 10 indicates the eye protectionframe assembly generally, and 12 the front lens retaining portion intowhich lens 14 is inserted and positioned to protect the eyes and face ofthe wearer. Cushioning 16 may be provided especially around the nosesupported area and the top edge forehead COI'I- tacting area of theassembly.

A pair of temple members 17 extend rearwardly in the extended openposition as shown in FIG. 1 and are attached to the front lens retainingportion 12 by means of connecting structure indicated generally byreference numeral 18 as shown in FIG. 2. The temple members 17 include asubstantially straight front portion 19 which extends rearwardly for adistance normally just past the ear of the wearer and a rearward end 21which is of a length approximately equal to the front portion and isbent at an angle to extend inwardly and downwardly toward each other.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show the connecting structure 18, which is identicalfor each temple member, in more detail. Attached to each of the integralend portions 20 of the lens retaining portions 12 is a temple connectingmember 22. The member 22 includes a plate-like body portion 24 which hasthree openings 26 therein for receiving three rivits 28 attaching themember 22 to the end portions 20 of the lens retaining portion. A pairof upstanding pin supporting members 30 extend upwardly from the bodyportion 24 each having an opening 32 therein for receiving a rivit typepin 34. Extending between the upstanding members 30 is an abutment means36 which has a profile which slopes upwardly from the body portion 24 asshown in FIG. 3 and forms an edge 38 extending between the members 30.

Connected to each temple member is a spring metal strip 40. The strip islocated in a groove 42 located in the front end portion of each templemember. A pair of rivits 41 extend through openings 43 in the rearwardend of the straight portion 39 of strip 40 and openings 44 in the templemember to firmly attach the end of the strip in the groove. The springmetal strip 40 is of a considerable length with preferably more thanhalf of the length thereof positioned within the temple groove 42. Thislength of the spring metal strip is important since the radius ofcurvature into which the spring strip is bent which can effect the lifeof the strip can be less with a long spring strip than a shorter springstrip for the same amount of spreading of the rear end portions of thetemple members. The smaller radius of curvature into which the springstrip 40 is bent can also prevent a permanent set in the spring stripmaking it less effective as a biasing means.

The front end portion 46 of each spring metal strip 40 is bent into acircular shape which surrounds pin 34 for providing pivotal attachmentof each of the temple members to the front lens retaining portion of theassembly. The bottom surface of temple groove 42, as shown in FIG. 3 isformed having a straight portion 50 of shallow depth in the area whereeach strip 40 attached and then a convex shaped portion 52 sloping downtoward the end of the temple member. The con vex portion increasinglysupports the portion of the metal spring strip overlying the portion asthe strip is urged into a substantially flexed condition.

Referring to FIG. 1 it can be seen that even when the temple members areopened to the extent of their pivotal movement provided by the pivotingof the surrounding portion 46 of the metal strip about pin 34 therearward ends of the temple members are only separated by a relativelysmall distance due to their length and bent configuration. The pivotalmovement of the temple members is limited by contact of the strip withthe abutment means 30 as shown in FIG. 3. To place the eye protectionassembly on the head of the wearer it is necessary to spread the templemembers apart causing flexing of the spring metal strip 40 especiallythe straight portion 39 thereof. The groove 42 is configured to allowthe temples to separate to the necessary extent while the convex bottomportion of the groove increasingly supports the portion 39 of the metalstrip 40. This increasing support of the spring strip as it is bent isof importance as it prevents breaking or permanent bends in the springstrip over a long period of use. The resistance of the metal strip 40 toflexing and its inherent property to return to its unflexed conditioncauses the temple members when thus separated to be urged or biased backto the extent of the pivotally open position as indicated in FIG. 1 and3. This causes the temples to be urged against the wearers headproviding the desired snug fit against both the side and rear of hishead as-shown in FIG. 6.

Thus, the objects of the invention are achieved by the assembly as shownand described which cooperate in a novel manner to achieve the desiredresult. i

I claim:

1. An eye protection frame assembly comprising:

a. a front lens retaining portion for retaining lens means in the lineof vision of the wearer;

b. a pair of integral end portions at the ends of said front lensretaining portion;

c. a pair of temple members pivotally connected to said end portions andextending backward therefrom in a normal open position;

d. a pair of temple connecting members, each having a platelike bodyportion attached at one end to said integral end portions of said frontlens retaining portion and having a pair of upstanding pin supportingmembers extending outwardly from the opposite end of said body portion;

e. a pin mounted between said pair of upstanding pin supporting members;

f. an abutment means extending between said pair of pin supportingmembers;

g. a pair of spring metal elongated strips, one end of each beingattached to one of said temple portions and the other end surroundingone of said pins mounted on one of said temple connecting members forpivotally connecting the temples to said front lens retaining portion,said pivotal attachment of said spring metal strips to said pinsallowing angular movement of said temple portions from their foldedpostions generally overlying the back of said front lens retainingportion through angles in which said temple portions extend backwardfrom said front lens retaining portion, the pivotal movement of each ofsaid spring metal strips being limited by contact with said abutmentmeans extending between said pair of pin supporting members;

h. whereby movement of said temple portions beyond the extent of theirpivotal movement causes flexing of portions of said spring metal stripswhich initially allows said temples to separate further but then biasessaid temple portions back toward their normally pivoted open extendedposition providing a flexible but snug fit of said frame assembly onsaid wearer.

2. The eye protection assembly as described in claim 1 wherein each ofsaid spring metal strips is attached to a temple member at a positionspaced backwardly thereon, the portion of said temple member underlyingsaid spring metal strip having a groove therein to receive said strip,the bottom surface of said groove having a convex curvature in a portionthereof sloping toward the front end of said temple member toincreasingly support said spring metal strip as it is urged into asubstantially flexed condition as the temple members are separated.

3. The eye protection assembly as described in claim 2 wherein theportion of each spring metal strip overlying said temple member andreceived in said groove has a length more than half of the entire springmetal strip so that it may bend over a considerable length of the stripwhile being supported in said groove.

4. The eye protection assembly as described in claim 1 wherein each ofsaid pair of temple members includes a substantially straight frontportion which extends rearwardly for a distance normally just past theear of the wearer, the rearward end of such temple members being of alength at least approximately equal to the front portion and bent at anangle to extend inwardly and downwardly toward each other to generallyconform to the shape of the head of the wearer and to snugly fit theback portion of his head.

1. An eye protection frame assembly comprising: a. a front lens retaining portion for retaining lens means in the line of vision of the wearer; b. a pair of integral end portions at the ends of said front lens retaining portion; c. a pair of temple members pivotally connected to said end portions and extending backward therefrom in a normal open position; d. a pair of temple connecting members, each having a platelike body portion attached at one end to said integral end portions of said front lens retaining portion and having a pair of upstanding pin supporting members extending outwardly from the opposite end of said body portion; e. a pin mounted between said pair of upstanding pin supporting members; f. an abutment means extending between said pair of pin supporting members; g. a pair of spring metal elongated strips, one end of each being attached to one of said temple portions and the other end surrounding one of said pins mounted on one of said temple connecting members for pivotally connecting the temples to said front lens retaining portion, said pivotal attachment of said spring metal strips to said pins allowing angular movement of said temple portions from their folded postions generally overlying the back of said front lens retaining portion through angles in which said temple portions extend backward from said front lens retaining portion, the pivotal movement of each of said spring metal strips being limited by contact with said abutment means extending between said pair of pin supporting members; h. whereby movement of said temple portions beyond the extent of their pivotal movement causes flexing of portions of said spring metal strips which initially allows said temples to separate further but then biases said temple portions back toward their normally pivoted open extended position providing a flexible but snug fit of said frame assembly on said wearer.
 2. The eye protection assembly as described in claim 1 wherein each of said spring metal strips is attached to a temple member at a position spaced backwardly thereon, the portion of said temple member underlying said spring metal strip having a groove therein to receive said strip, the bottom surface of said groove having a convex curvature in a portion thereof sloping toward the front end of said temple member to increasingly support said spring metal strip as it is urged into a substAntially flexed condition as the temple members are separated.
 3. The eye protection assembly as described in claim 2 wherein the portion of each spring metal strip overlying said temple member and received in said groove has a length more than half of the entire spring metal strip so that it may bend over a considerable length of the strip while being supported in said groove.
 4. The eye protection assembly as described in claim 1 wherein each of said pair of temple members includes a substantially straight front portion which extends rearwardly for a distance normally just past the ear of the wearer, the rearward end of such temple members being of a length at least approximately equal to the front portion and bent at an angle to extend inwardly and downwardly toward each other to generally conform to the shape of the head of the wearer and to snugly fit the back portion of his head. 